


All You Have To Do Is Stay

by Amaranthine_Siren



Category: McElroy Vlogs & Podcasts RPF
Genre: But not much cuz I'm not down with that, Cmon get it together boys, Let these boys feel good, M/M, Maybe A Tiny Bit Of Angst?, Mutual Pining, RPF, Soft boys getting all up in their feelings, They deserve kisses and cuddles and stuff, When they should be making out instead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-27
Updated: 2017-04-27
Packaged: 2018-10-24 12:37:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10741845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amaranthine_Siren/pseuds/Amaranthine_Siren
Summary: Being together is as easy as breathing, and leaving gets harder every time.





	All You Have To Do Is Stay

**Author's Note:**

> You should know the drill by now, but in case you're new here:
> 
> 1) Welcome! This may be a cursed ship, but we be a friendly crew. Yarr.
> 
> 2) Same caveat as always: 100% fictional nonsense. This story takes place in an ALTERNATE UNIVERSE and the characters are not in any way meant to be predictive of or descriptive of the actual human beings they share names with.
> 
> Soundtrack for this fic (& title inspiration) is "Stay" by Zedd. https://youtu.be/h--P8HzYZ74
> 
> HUGE thanks to Kaltesterne for the beta. <3

It was that time of year, their spring meetup, where almost everyone came to town to work together for a while and catch up on things. The first night, they all went to dinner. Nick and Griffin sat next to each other, because that was the way it always was. Nick and Griffin, Griffin and Nick. Partners in everything, even dinner seating.

There were at least five different conversations happening around them, Nick speaking to the person on his right, Griffin mugging for a group photo. The drinks were flowing, and everyone was feeling warm and fuzzy. It was so good to be back with them all. Griffin's phone vibrated on the table top, and he flipped it over, still smiling as he read:

_Miss you already._

He held in a chuckle, and typed back a response.

_Seriously? I literally just got here._

He locked his phone and caught Nick’s attention by elbowing him gently in the ribs. Nick looked up at him and smiled.

The days seemed to fly by. They got a ton of projects done, managed to record some podcasts that they were both really happy with, and before Griffin knew it, it was the night before he was meant to leave. They went out again, most of the gang, and drank and laughed and joked, and he didn't want it to end, even though he knew it had to. Even though they were having fun, he could feel the hours counting down, his departure approaching, and a dull ache settled into his chest.

He stepped outside for a breath of fresh air, finding it chillier than he expected. A puff of steam escaped his lips as his phone buzzed in his coat pocket.

_Miss you._

He sighed, a cloud of warmth floating away into the night air.

_I know. Me too._

He heard the door open behind him, and a warm arm swung around his shoulders, as the other one raised to flag down a passing cab.

The cab and elevator rides were silent, but comfortably so, the way they tended to be with them. No need to fill the air between them with idle chatter if they didn't want to.

Griffin opened the room door wide, and they both entered, jackets thrown on the nearest chair, shoes kicked off, getting comfortable. As he reached for a charger to plug in his phone, it blinked on.

_Miss you._

A laugh bubbled up from inside him as he set down the phone and turned, saying “I'm still here.”

Soft, warm lips were there to meet him as he turned, and a frisson of surprise flowed across his skin.

“Mmmph,” he mumbled into the kiss and grasped Nick's waist, steadying himself. Nick's hands splayed across his back, clutching him as if he was afraid that Griffin would drift away if he didn't hold tightly.

After a moment, Griffin pulled away from the kiss, catching his breath. “Nick,” he whispered gently. Nick's eyes were closed, forehead leaned against his, their hearts both racing in tandem, every pulse beat a second hand inching closer to goodbye. “Hey. Look at me, bud.”

Nick's eyes fluttered open, those ridiculous lashes framing pupils that glistened, even in the dim light. “Griffin…” he murmured. “I need – please. Don’t. I don't want you to go –” He stopped, a shuddering breath replacing the words he'd been recklessly spilling out into the space between them.

Griffin reached up, cupping Nick's face in his hands. “Hey. Nick. I'm here. I'm here now. Just… I've got you.” He placed a soft kiss on Nick's forehead. “I'm still right here.”

“ _Griffin_.” His name wrenched from Nick's lips, pained, longing.

“Nick… Anything you want, whatever you need from me, I've got you… I'm here.”

Griffin delicately rested his fingertips on Nick's shoulders, his fingers curled under, and began to lightly graze them down Nick's arms, featherlight, barely making contact with Nick's skin. The ghost of a touch was enough to make Nick tremble, and his eyes opened wide, locking with Griffin's as he quivered under his caress.

“Anything…?” Nick said softly.

When he reached Nick's wrists, Griffin paused, and moved to ascend again, when Nick suddenly reached out with both hands, grasping Griffin tightly by his wrists. The firm grip made Griffin gasp.

Nick's eyebrow quirked up. Griffin felt the color burn on his cheeks, and his shallow, quick breathing betrayed how much it had affected him. Nick experimentally squeezed Griffin's wrists a little tighter, and he shuddered in response.

“ _Nick_ ,” he moaned softly.

Nick tugged Griffin close, bringing their bodies flush together. At the contact, Griffin arched into him, his head back, a low moan escaping him. Nick's lips found the tender skin of Griffin's jaw, pressing a kiss there and then licking a trail up to his ear, before whispering, “Stay here. With me, tonight. Stay…”

“Nick, I'm – ahhhh!” His whispered words cut off with a cry as Nick's teeth nibbled at his neck and shoulder, the sharp sting bringing into stark relief all the sensations he was feeling at once: the heat of Nick's breath against his skin, the tight grip on his wrists, the press of Nick's body against his. It was all so much to take in, it was overwhelming him.

Reluctantly, he took the tiniest step back, and regarded Nick for a moment; his cheeks flushed pink, pupils blown wide, lips slightly parted. Hair mussed, thin white tee sliding off one shoulder, his pulse throbbing visibly under his pale skin, trembling in anticipation of Griffin's next move. He looked perfect.

“Nick, look at me.” Nick's eyes flicked up to his. “What is this? What are we...”

Nick seemed to deflate a bit at this, released Griffin's wrists, turned away, took a step, stopped. “Oh,” he exhaled quietly.

Griffin cursed himself for this, but even if it wasn't entirely unexpected, it was so intense, and he was likely to get swept away if he didn't at least try to question it now. Half of him was cautious, and the other half was crying out to close the distance between them, to show how he felt, but…

Tentatively, he reached out a hand and rested his fingers on the inside of Nick's arm. “Nick, I'm not – I don't – fuck. I just, I need to know…”

Nick glanced up at him. “What, Griffin? What do you need to know?”

Griffin worried at his bottom lip with his teeth, swallowed, looked away. “Is this… Nick.” He pulled in a deep unsteady breath. “I don't want to ruin us. You're like, my _best_ friend, and if we - I don't want to break us. So I need to – what is this to you? Because I want – I've always… but if you're doing this just because you don't want to be alone tonight, then I – I can't...” His voice drifted off, unsure of how to continue.

“Griffin.” Nick's hand encircled his wrist again, gentler this time, thumb softly rubbing the sensitive skin over his pulse. “This whole week, being with you again, it's... You – you know that thing where, as soon as something starts, you can already see the end of it in your head, and then you can't – you can't enjoy it because all you can focus on is how that final moment is coming closer, every _second_. This, this fucking clock is just ticking in my brain, _constantly_ – like, the ONLY thing I can think about is 'how many days left do I have, how many hours, how many minutes?’  

“And it all just kinda hit me at once – tomorrow you'll be gone again and I wasted all this time – _I wasted it_ , if I couldn’t... If I couldn’t tell you, or fuck, _show_ you. How I feel.”

Nick finally ran out of breath, and looked up to meet Griffin's gaze. Griffin was looking at him in wonder, his eyes bright, the hint of a hopeful smile on his lips.

“So, yeah. I need you. I don't wanna be without you. Ever. But I know I have to be. Tomorrow. But it isn't tomorrow yet.

“So… stay?”

**Author's Note:**

> All you have to do is stay  
> A minute  
> Just take  
> Your time  
> The clock  
> Is ticking  
> So stay
> 
> All you have to do is wait  
> A second  
> Your hands  
> On mine  
> The clock  
> Is ticking  
> So stay


End file.
